Thursday, October 7, 2010

So, as you may know, I'm a bit of a drunk alcohol enthusiast. Today I'd like to bring something to your attention that is sure to shock everyone at the bar and undoubtedly earn you a highfive or three.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Just saw it for the first time on Friday, and I really gotta say, it's absolutely incredible. It doesn't try to shove some sobering message down your throat, there's no pretext, no commentary, all it wants to do is show you the ins and outs of the lives of these kids. Could it be any better at doing that? Nope.

It's filmed inspiringly well, from start to finish. You feel it as you're watching, that there's no way it could be displayed any more prominently than it already is. A lot of the situations these kids are in are sad. Very sad. It doesn't hesitate to show you the joy in their lives either, though. Right from the get-go, the first scene captures Rat (the boy in the picture above) jumping off a bridge into the Seattle water in an activity he has deemed 'flying'. The introduction that follows playfully displays the homeless community as they interact, joke amongst themselves and live the image of freedom throughout the day.

By seeing them when they're happy and otherwise, you really start to sympathize with these kids once the worst unfolds. 14 year old girls turning tricks, drug addiction, violence, they're all very powerful themes.

Still, just browsing through some of the youtube comments, it appears as though some of these kids have made something of themselves. Rat appears to be married and very ashamed of this film. One kid who stands out at the start appears to have written a memoir. Others, like the child prostitute who doesn't believe in abortion, have had at least 9 kids..

The film is highly recommended, and it's called Streetwise. Try your hardest to find yourself a hard copy, but it's extremely rare. It should still be available on youtube. Watch out, the shit gets real pretty fast.